By WBNG News via Fr. Matt Kennedy on Facebook:
Story Created: Dec 24, 2009 at 10:23 PM EST
Story Updated: Dec 24, 2009 at 11:25 PM EST
Binghamton, NY (WBNG Binghamton) Christmas is a time to be thankful, and for one church, it's a fresh start.
Action News reporter Rachael Hidalgo takes us to the first mass at the new Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd.
They're singing in praise, and thanking God that they now have a place to worship again.
"It's beyond what we could ever imagine to occupy and worship in," says Pastor Matt Kennedy.
The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd has been without a home since last Christmas.
It's Diocese sued the church for not maintaining a modern stance on homosexuality.
The church lost it's lease and had to shut down.
But the congregation found a new location only a mile away at the former St. Andrews Church.
"We're very thankful that we could be here in such a short amount of time. And it's a wonderful facility and we've got new parishioners, and we're very happy here," says John Chaney from Vestal.
Elizabeth Finch and her family are one many who followed the church to its new location.
Finch says after a year, things couldn't have turned out better.
"We weren't sure where we were going to end up, we didn't want to lose our church family. But it's really turned into a blessing in disguise because we have a wonderful new building and wonderful new family that we're building here so we do thank them for closing us," says Finch from Kirkwood.
For this church, the real gift this holiday, is it's first Christmas mass.
"It feels like a miracle. This is something no one in my congregation was prepared for. We expected things to be much worse for us. And again, God provides," says Kennedy.
A true miracle for a small congregation on Christmas Eve.
The Good Shepherd purchased the entire St. Andrews property including the church, rectory and community center.
It's now making a profit by renting out the community center to the Future Faces daycare center.
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